Lush! goes classical for 20th milestone

Lush! nightclub at Kellys Portrush has packed in music lovers for two decades and this October will celebrate its 20th birthday with an event never before seen or heard in Northern Ireland.

The biggest floor fillers ever heard at Lush! will be performed by the Ulster Orchestra at a special celebratory event at the SSE Arena in Belfast.

The 70-piece symphony orchestra will be joined by some of the most famous DJs on the planet for a once in a lifetime event, which will push the boundaries for live events in Ireland.

On Saturday October 15th thousands of party people will hear some of the greatest dance tunes of all time played with a classical twist on a thundering purpose built sound and lighting rig – at Lush! Twenty – 20 Years of Dance Music Classics performed by the Ulster Orchestra.

Curated by Brothers In Rhythm (Dave Seaman and Steve Anderson) alongside Lush! co-founder Col Hamilton, the night will feature special guest DJ Seb Fontaine and be compered by Lush! legend John Cecchini, with some special live vocalists, soon to be announced.

Speaking about the event, Peter Wilson, Managing Director of Kellys Complex said: “Today is a momentous day. Not only are we celebrating two fantastic decades of Lush!

“But we are launching one of the most unique dance events that Northern Ireland or indeed Ireland has ever experienced.

“Kellys has been an institution for close to fifty years. My late uncle James Kelly started the business by hosting barn dances in his farm buildings in the 60s. This evolved into discos in the 70s. In 1996, the club was pulling in thousands of revelers each week with a love of dance music, which gave way to the launch of Lush!

Peter concluded: “For the past two decades Lush! has remained as one of the best-known nightclubs in Europe, regularly attracting the biggest DJs in the world. To-date we have welcomed over 1million clubbers through the entrance, and I am proud that we are celebrating its 20th year with such a fantastic event.”

Col Hamilton, co-founder of Lush, said: “We are over the moon that we are today launching this unbelievable event which is sure to be an amazing night for dance fans of all ages.

“After watching the spectacle that was the BBC Radio 1 Pete Tong Ibiza proms last year, I knew straight away that we had to do our own home-grown Lush! version.

“The reaction so far has been unbelievable, with people booking hotels even before the tickets have go on sale.

“If you like dance music and want something completely different then this is the event for you.”

World renowned DJ, Seb Fontaine, who will be spinning some of his classic tracks at the Autumn event continued: “Lush has always been close to my heart, so to be part of the 20 year Classics is something really special.